"Welcome Moony to the most posh and gloomy house of black" Sirius throat was dry.
"Thank you, its an honor." Said Remus in his playful manner not knowing what his role was exactly.
"Sirius did you need anything?"
The ex-convict was pale, his mind was a hurricane of memories each one worse than the other, distorting his reality, affecting his senses.
"We could do this another day you know?"
Coward, useless, weak…his mind shouted sounding uncannily like a mixture between his mother, himself and James. He needed to do this, it was what little he could offer, to moony, to harry, to the other. If he didn't do it, then what good was he?
"I- Could you hold my hand?" Remus' hand intertwined with his in a silence, Sirius griped it like an anchor, the only thing that stop him from flying into the hurricane.
They took one step, then another, with each movement they seemed closer to the eye of the hurricane. Crossing the threshold they found themselves face to face with what would be their house for who knows how long.
The house smelled funny, it was one of those smells it shouldn't be nice but some people like, like gasoline for example. Remus' though the source of that smell was an specific kind of fungi he had heard Madam Sprout talked about.
There was very little light too, which seem to confirm his suspicion about the fungi. The only sources of brightness were thin rays of son peeking from the curtains and ostentatious, made-to-impress candles.
It was full of dust, and black, and green. It seemed to be a very bad impression of the Slytherin common room, because the designer had forgot an important fact about the space: it was meant for children to use, laugh, play and cried in. He wondered if the Blacks had forgotten that heirs were essentially awkward teenagers.
A big onomatopoeia: CRACK! Interrupt Remus from his introspection.
"What are you doing here!?"
"Half-breeds, and blood-traitors, if my mistress could know…" said the half elf.
"Hey, you filthy excuse of creature, you would apologize in this instant or…"
"Hello, my name is Remus Lupin, and yours?" Interrupt the werewolf before his friend could said something he would later regret.
"Oh poor Kreacher, left behind to deal with the scum… I apologize for my words Master Black."
"Don't you dare call me Master Black, now disappear."
And like that Kreacher disappear.
Remus had to remind himself that his friend was in a bad headspace, that this person in particular hold ties to years of abuse, that he wasn't like the people at St. Mungus who constantly insult him while "caring" for him.
Sirius collapsed, it seemed hat seeing Kreacher had been the last straw for him. Remus joined him in the floor. It must get easier with time, didn't it? Or at least he would get accustomed to it, besides he had Harry and Remus which he didn't have in Azkaban. He was the great Sirius Bl- he, he would get through it.
Their bodies rest on the floor while their minds fought not to spiral down and get a hold of their feelings and thoughts.
"Well, what do you want to do, Pads?"
"I guess find rooms for us and buckbeak."
Remus stood up, his joints pop. He gave a hand to his friend and both went upstairs.
"Here it is moony, my monument against everything this house represents." Sirius opened the door to his room.
It screamed: GRYFFINDOR! With the red of the covers, the banners pin to the wall, the gold and yellow like tone of the furniture. It also shouted: STRAIGHT, for the bikini girls (even though Padfoot only put them up because he liked to try the hairstyles and make up) and the motorcycles (which everyone can enjoy, not just straight people). So maybe it didn't shout straight, more like "muggle".
Sirius collapsed in the bed, this had always been his safe place at his house. Weird how just shutting one door could make you feel like you had a barrier between you and the world. How it had made of the two offspring of Walburga and Orion, brothers once.
"I'll stay here. I believe Walburga's room will be big enough for Bucky, and you can choose which ever room you like."
"Understood."
Oh good, Sirius was tired, he wanted nothing more than to turn into Padfoot and let the day wash over him, but first. "Could it not be the one that says RAB."
"Of course Sirius, dream nicely."
"I give up dreaming a long time ago." Slurred Sirius, and Padfoot close his eyes.
The next part of the day Remus spend trying not to feel like he wanted to claw out of his skin and disappear. It was bad enough to feel like an impostor amongst men, sorcerers, werewolves and now also his friend's and for-how-long his house.
In the end he settled for what it look to be a visitors room, it was not as big as Sirius' (thank god) but it seem to be the same size his parents room once were, it also had a nice bookshelf and a windowsill where he could see the street.
He spent all afternoon cleaning the place, half by magic and half by muggle methods. It reminded him a little of that movie from Disney with merlin and Arthur. He took out his suitcase that still said, "Professor R.J. Lupin" and made the room a little more him. Meaning obscure and weird books, muggle music, potions and a first-aid kit, notebooks and pens (he took from hotels: they are there for people to use, even if you work there instead of stay), a sewing kit and of course chocolate.
He was reading "The mating habits of Grindylows: An unusual love story" (A book that had done so terrible at the box office, that libraries were practically giving away) when the familiar onomatopoeia make presence.
"Oh, Hello Kreacher."
"The half-breed is in Ms. Avery room, why?"
"I uhm, Sirius gave me permission." God that sounded so childish.
"If Mister Sirius allows…what are you reading?" Kreacher was not one to ask questions to people, not talk to them if he hadn't been asked too, but this Remus wasn't people, he was like Kreacher.
"I am reading words." Okay so Remus wasn't that sarcastic- he wasn't that sarcastic with strangers per se, but he also wasn't about to humiliate himself in front of the strangers, in his life that was their work.
"What kind of words." Kreacher didn't knew why Kreacher continue to talk to this stupid creature, but Kreacher wanted too.
"Um, English." Remus was not going to say what the book was about even if Kreacher outed him to all of earth.
"But, what is the name of the book!"
The ex-professor knew this was an stupid interaction, and that he should just give up. But, he didn't want too. "Why is it the sudden interest of my book?"
"I don't know, obtuse werewolves you can not hold conversations with them." Kreacher murmured, but Kreacher didn't leave.
"You want to have a conversation with me?"
"YES! Kreacher wants that, but kreacher does not know why, kreacher just ones to know about the book!"
Remus thought, and find why Kreacher wanted to have a conversation with him. Kreacher was lonely, being trapped in here for who knows how long, and if he could make this person's life a little less lonely by humiliating himself. Well, he was a marauder and his life a big joke.
"Okay, well the book's name is "The mating habit of Grindylows: An unusual love story." It is very interesting, it tooks the theory of how the creatures usually mate and sees how it would play in real life, if grindylows had a mayor level of intelligence.
Um, it narrates the story of two persons: Lopushi-kimaerteuil¿k (which name in English is Maren) and Yuo8lipushy-Ñoyasnretw?h (which name in English is Thalassa). The unusual part of the story is that is a polyamorous one, that is when you have a romantic and/or sexual relationship with more than one person, Gryndilows are usually pretty monogamous (just one partner) and have been known for kill because of cheating partners, but there are some cases like with Maren and Thalassa that bring another person into their relationship. And the story is about learning to navigate their relationship with Tlsduaiwdjsj-loña¡j (Muriel)."
"Why the werewolf wants to learn about grindylow love?" Kreacher muttered to Kreacher-self. But Remus heard.
"It is a great story, with exquisite character development. If you read it, you will understand why." Remus offer the book.
"Kreacher…can't. Master Regulus taught Kreacher how to read, but Kreacher forgot." The elf look ready to chastise kreacher-self.
"I am sorry, if you like Kreacher I could teach you how to read."
"A half-breed wont step in the place of Master Regulus, if Master Regulus knew, he-"
"Apologies Kreacher, I didn't mean it like that. Perhaps we could just read the book together."
"Two creatures, reading a book about creatures. What would Mistress Black said?" Kreacher wondered, and for once came empty handed. Kreacher then wondered what would Kreacher said, Kreacher would say yes.
The night was spent with Remus reading at loud for Kreacher, until the need for sleep came.